For leaders who care about developing healthy teams, few tools are as underutilized—and as transformational—as feedback and midyear reviews.
Too often, performance conversations are reserved for annual reviews or, worse, saved only for moments when correction is necessary. But feedback isn’t just about course correction—it’s about growth, encouragement, and alignment. If you’re a leader but don’t know how to build a habit of feedback, fear not. We’ll outline why reviews are so critical to your leadership and mission, plus provide templates for making the process as easy as possible.
1. Feedback fosters growth
When given thoughtfully and consistently, feedback helps team members understand where they’re excelling and where they can grow. It communicates to them that you see them and that you want to invest in them. Without regular feedback, employees are left to guess how they’re doing—often assuming the worst.
Midyear reviews provide a structured opportunity to have those conversations. They give your team members a moment to reflect on what’s working, revisit goals, and course-correct if needed. They also signal that development isn’t a one-time event—it’s an ongoing process.
2. Reviews reconnect vision with reality
Every team member wants to know their work matters. Midyear reviews are a chance for you to zoom out and realign each person’s role with your organization’s larger mission. They create space to assess not just what is being done, but why it’s being done.
When you can tell a team member, “Here’s where I see God moving in your life and leadership,” or “Here’s where I see you thriving,” it turns a routine review into a moment of purpose. That’s why at Vanderbloemen, we build spiritual, relational, and professional checkpoints into both our Employee and Manager review templates.
3. Conversations build culture
Culture isn’t built on team retreats or staff meetings alone. It’s built on conversations—especially the kind that make people feel seen, heard, and valued. A well executed review is more than a feedback form, it’s a ministry moment.
Creating a rhythm of midyear reviews sends a clear message: We care about who you are, not just what you do.
Getting started
It’s not easy to build new habits, and if you have a big staff, implementing a new review policy can feel like a big undertaking. But that’s where we come in. Vanderbloemen is here to help organizations like yours be the best they can be, one step, review, or employee at a time. Give yourself grace as you begin to overhaul your review process. Ask others to help hold you accountable. Use our review templates to make sure you and your team are hitting on all the important points. And if you feel like you could use an extra hand, contact us.
Your new and improved culture, performance, and connection are right around the corner. We can’t wait to see where it takes you.
